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The 5 Ultimate American Soft-Serve Spots to Hit Up This Summer

Here’s the backstory behind America’s alleged original soft-serve ice cream recipe: A guy by the name of Tom Carvel, born Athanasios Karvelas, started selling ice cream out of a truck in 1929. On Memorial Day weekend in 1934, he got a flat tire, pulled into a nearby parking lot, and sold his half-melted ice cream to people driving by. After nearly selling out his stock, Carvel eventually decided to make a bigger business out of this less-than-frozen ice cream variety and he created his own top-secret “soft serve” recipe while also patenting a low temperature ice cream machine. Dairy Queen, however, happens to refute Carvel’s claim. They say that they invented soft-serve. Whatever the truth is, Dairy Queen, ice cream trucks, Fourth of July—it doesn’t get more summertime than that. Which is why soft-serve ice cream is quite possibly the most delightful dessert one can have during the months of June, July, and August, especially if it comes with those nostalgic little rainbow sprinkles on top. On a hot day when the craving for a cone sets in, these are the five places around the country to go for a creative swirl of classic American soft-serve.

Leon’sThis incredibly cool, laid-back Charleston eatery might be famous for its fried chicken and fresh oysters, but the simple soft-serve here is out of this world. Diners only get two choices of vanilla or chocolate in a classic cone, with or without rainbow sprinkles. Sometimes, old school is the only way to go.

Sweet Rose CreameryThe soft-serve created by chef Shiho Yoshikawa at Sweet Rose Creamery in Santa Monica, California, is whipped up using only fresh, seasonal ingredients from the local farmers market. The ever-changing menu can include traditional flavors like peanut butter and strawberry but also those that boast ingredients like matcha and horchata.

Big Gay Ice CreamSpecializing in wildly offbeat soft-serve flavors and toppings, Big Gay Ice Cream’s two New York locations always have lines out the door. Owners Douglas Quint and Bryan Petroff have developed flavors like the Bea Arthur, made with vanilla soft-serve, dulce de leche, and crushed Nilla wafers; and the Mermaid, made with vanilla soft-serve, key lime curd, crushed graham crackers, and whipped cream. What Big Gay Ice Cream offers is definitely a step up from the cherry or chocolate dip on a classic soft-serve cone.

[Cow Tipping Creamery]](http://www.cowtippingcreamery.com/)Austin’s Cow Tipping Creamery has come a long way—the owners launched the label out of a truck on the side of the road in 2012, then raised money via Kickstarter in 2014—and is now set to partner with Dallas pizza chain Cane Rosso. They sell only soft-serve out of their incredibly popular truck, offering treats like the Cara-Nutella—soft-serve of your choice with salted caramel sweet corn puffs, Nutella, and candied beer peanuts—as well as the Taj Y’all, a choice of soft-serve topped with saffron syrup, toasted black sesame seeds, pistachio and sesame brittle bits, and coconut dust.